BOSTON (WHDH) - In its first meeting in years, a Registry of Motor Vehicles oversight panel fired a top employee in the latest fallout over the scandal exposed by a deadly crash in New Hampshire.
The RMV Merit Rating Board’s oversight panel voted to fire the board’s director, Thomas Bowes, at a meeting Tuesday.
Bowes led the unit that was supposed to be checking out of state registrations. The truck driver accused in the crash that killed seven in New Hampshire should not have had an active license, but the registry never acted on an out-of-state alert that would have kept him off the road.
“I take full responsibility for the role my department played in this event,” Bowes said.
Bowes is the second registry official to leave since the scandal unfolded. Erin Deveney resigned her post as Registrar after the crash.
“Governor Baker believes the Merit Rating Board’s unanimous vote to change leadership is an important step in the right direction as Acting Registrar Tesler and Secretary Pollack continue their work to fix what is broken at the RMV, restore accountability and improve public safety,” said Baker spokeswoman Lizzy Guyton in a statement.
But Bowes’ attorney indicated his client is being used as a scapegoat.
“There is a failure of leadership up and down. All the way up,” said attorney Leonard Kesten.
The panel that fired Bowes has not met since 2015, despite one member saying he had been urging action.
“The board has not met in years and this has been despite my repeated requests that it convene,” said Glenn Kaplan, the panel member appointed by the attorney general.
The acting registrar says the oversight panel will meet more often as it now searches for new leadership for the Merit Rating Board.
“This is really about the right leadership going forward … that’s the focus today,” said acting registrar Jamey Tesler.
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